Fibers, Percolation, and Spalling of High-Performance Concrete

Published

May 1, 2000

Author(s)

Dale P. Bentz

Abstract

While the strength and durability of high performance concretes (HPCs) are often greatly superior to conventional concretes under ambient conditions, their failure is sometimes rapid and dramatic during exposure to a fire, characterized by the explosive spalling of layers from the exposed concrete surface. This failure mode is rarely encountered in conventional concretes of higher w/c ratios. In these concretes, it is suggested that the interfacial transition zones (ITZs) surrounding each aggregate particle provide a convenient escape route for the vapor built up during the thermal exposure. In HPC, these ITZ regions are thinner and not percolated, but can be repercolated by the addition of just a few (0.2 to 0.5% by volume) fibers. Here, simulations are conducted to determine the relative efficiency of different length fibers in creating a percolated network, and to investigate the effects of aggregate volume fraction and gradation on ITZ percolation.

Citation

Aci Materials Journal Journal

Volume

97

Issue

No. 3

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

building technology, fibers, high performance concrete, interfacial transition zone, microstructure, permeability, simulation, spalling

Citation

Bentz, D. (2000), Fibers, Percolation, and Spalling of High-Performance Concrete, Aci Materials Journal Journal, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=860181 (Accessed April 25, 2024)